Kodak is bringing back the legendary Super 8 camera, and Hollywood is stoked

First introduced by Kodak in 1965, it was the first handy film camera that let regular people make movies.

It figures into the origin stories of today's greatest moviemakers: "The Dark Knight" director Chris Nolan got his start making movies using his father's Super 8 at age seven, while "Force Awakens" director JJ Abrams got his start when Steven Spielberg asked him to restore his Super 8 archive.

Kodak just announced that it's bringing back the Super 8 with modern updates, and we talked with designer Yves Behar — the man behind the Jawbone Up, the Jambox, the August Smartlock, and the XO Laptop — about the design.

As seen in this ridiculous Playboy ad from 1967, the Super 8 was a handheld video camera that made a splash.

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Suddenly, you could make movies — actual movies — at home. The Super 8 harkens back to a time when Kodak was dominant, and the phrase "camera phone" made no sense.

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It was so influential in JJ Abrams' life that he made a 2011 sci-fi with the camera in a starring role — 'Super 8.'

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Announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, the new Super 8 modernizes the classic design. When you send the film into Kodak, the company send you back both digital and film treatments, making you a regular Quentin Tarantino.

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It's aimed at people interested in the craft of moviemaking. Similar to how audiophiles have flocked to vinyl records — which are bringing in more money than streaming services — Kodak is predicting that cinephiles will want the warmth of the Super 8 format.

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The new Super 8 keeps the analog film.

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And it adds an LCD screen, USB charging, and better ergonomics...

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With the help of grip accessories.

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"We are really looking at the best form factor and materials to keep this device beautiful, easy to handle, and using as minimal materials as possible," Behar tells Tech Insider.

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"There are things people love about the original camera we are trying to hold on to," he says. "The sound of the film reel, the warmth of the imagery. The real difference is in the output of the films it will produce."

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"We've seen the excitement from filmmakers already with this project, from JJ Abrams to Stephen Spielberg — there is still a love for film that won't die," Behar says. "The same way people are gravitating toward vinyls, the same reason I still love sketching on paper as a designer — there is something to this craft, a sentimentality, an intentionality, that I think is very important and resonates with people."